Affairs of the Heart
by Tishannia
Summary: Tony and Pepper have finally admitted to and acted on their feelings for one another. Their ensuing pursuit of happiness is filled with the twists and turns one would expect for a couple as prolific as they are. The story we missed as they built their relationship together from IM2 to The Avengers.
1. chapter one

**Affairs of the Heart**

Tony & Pepper, Ironman

June 9th 2018

Tony and Pepper have finally admitted to and acted on their feelings for one another. Their ensuing pursuit of happiness is filled with the twists and turns one would expect for a couple as prolific as they are. The in-between story we missed as they built their relationship together from IM2 to The Avengers.

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Ironman and/or Marvel. I just enjoy playing with them.

Chapter One

* * *

She would never have said that there was nothing between them. That kind of declaration would have been somewhere between a lie and denial. Regardless, it was hard to come to grips with her new reality. They had kissed on the roof of a building. Their very close friend had witnessed the moment. They were romantically involved in some way now. Employee and employer. Virginia "Pepper" Potts and Tony Stark.

"Get it together," she muttered under her breath. She tossed her book down onto her lap and let out a huff, leaning back into the cushions of her couch. She was one day into her three day self-imposed break from the craziness that is Stark Industries after everything that had occurred at the Expo and her subsequent resignation as CEO, but no matter what she did, concentration and relaxation seemed unachievable.

Her thoughts kept drifting back to him, to them. She had wanted just a little bit of space and time to get herself rebalanced and ready for whatever was to come with their changed relationship. Apparently, her new baseline was being constantly and annoyingly distracted by intrusive thoughts, something that was entirely new to someone as focused and professional as she had always been.

Of course, the fact that the object of her thoughts was obsessively texting her didn't help.

 _What are you doing?_

A smirk was teasing at the corners of her mouth as she responded, _The same thing I was doing the last three times you asked._

She was used to Tony being periodically needy, though he had really ramped it up since she had informed him of her need for a small amount of space. She might have found it flattering in another life, but they had already known each other for years. At best, he was mildly exasperating her right now.

 _It just doesn't sound like it's any fun. We could be having actual fun._

Knowing when to quit, she reached over to place her phone on the table next to her couch when it vibrated again. Rolling her eyes, she read the next text and promptly scowled, looking around at each of the windows in her apartment. Seeing nothing, she got up to walk over to the only window her curtains were pulled over and peeked through to find a metal mask staring back at her. Groaning in frustration, she unlocked it and pushed it open all the way as Tony effortlessly pulled off the screen.

"Really? It's been one day." She intoned dryly, moving out of the way as he awkwardly clambered into her apartment, leaving the screen on the roof outside. "Not even one day, actually."

"I prefer to think of your time away from work as just that – time away from work." He chirped happily, stepping out of his armor as it released him. "We should be enjoying your free time together in all the ways we can imagine. Nice outfit by the way. You should dress like that all the time," he tipped his head to her with a smirk.

She blushed as she looked down at her pyjama shorts and spaghetti strap tank top, bringing her arms up to cross over her chest self-consciously. "Listen Tony, I really just needed some time to get used to the idea of this..."

"Don't you think it would be easier to get used to us if we're actually around each other? Not in a strictly professional way either, like this," he said, gesturing between them. "Isn't this what normal couples do?"

"I know you're used to getting your way Tony, but in a relationship you actually have to take my feelings into account too." She reminded him with a sigh, trying to keep her frustration at bay. The truth was, even though she had said she wanted space, she wasn't all that sure about her conviction. She guessed that if she had been thinking about him, he might have been thinking about her too and he had less experience with romantic relationships than she did. "And we've really only been a couple for a day and a half or so."

"So... You don't want to hang out with me?" He pouted, moving to sit at one end of her couch.

"It's not-" Pepper blustered, throwing her hands in the air. "It's just slightly weird to go from being your employee to being your-"

"Girlfriend," he piped in.

"Girlfriend," she affirmed, feeling her heart beat a little faster at the moniker. "And I know you've been different for a while now when it comes to women but I guess I'm just scared," she admitted, joining him on the couch at the opposite end, pulling a throw pillow over her stomach to hold on to as she eyed him.

He shrugged. "I get it. I have a lot to prove. Let's start now!" He grinned, making himself comfortable. "No funny business, just hanging out."

Pepper sighed in defeat. It wasn't as though he was wrong, they had to start somewhere. Giving in to him might just reinforce his headstrong behaviour though. "Fine, but you're taking me on a real date the next time we do anything. We may have known each other for years but you're not getting off the hook that easily. And," she stood, tossing her pillow at him, "I'm going to get changed."

He knew better than to protest, so the grin stayed where it was on his face and he relented. "I don't think that's necessary, but I won't push. And it's you who's not getting off the hook so easily. You are about to find out what dating really is." He wagged his eyebrows suggestively as she walked away and she quickly hid the smile that was trying to break free.

She could only imagine.

* * *

AN: I haven't written anything in probably six years, but after seeing Avenger's Infinity War I have become obsessed with this pairing and it's given me an excuse to come back to something I love but haven't given myself the time to do. I always wonder how their relationship came together in between the movies so... I'm going to give it a shot! Best of luck to me!


	2. chapter two

Affairs of the Heart

Tony & Pepper, Ironman

June 13th 2018

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Ironman and/or Marvel. I just enjoy playing with them.

Chapter Two

* * *

It wasn't as strange as she might've thought it would be, 'hanging out' as he had put it. It was easy to fall into a comfortable, companionable routine because they had been doing it already for years, just maybe with slightly less flirtation. She said as much to him and he shrugged in response.

"This isn't anything new... We've done things together plenty of times, non-work-related things too. You're the only one overthinking things," he said. "Why don't we go grab something to eat? I'm starving."

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of publicity."

"I am perfectly capable of keeping my hands to myself. Even if I don't want to," he grinned at her. "It'll be just like always, except we'll be hiding a dirty little secret."

She rolled her eyes at him and fixed him with a put-upon expression, but he seemed unbothered. Clearly he wasn't about to change his mind and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't hungry. She stood up and moved towards her bedroom with a sigh, thinking about what she was going to wear. She felt a nervous excitement suddenly that she hadn't felt for a long time. _What am I, sixteen? Am I overthinking things?_

She came out ten minutes later dressed in dark wash jeans, a fitted long sleeve shirt and some kitten heels. She heard his low whistle and tried to stop the smile forming on her face but couldn't. _I guess I can start getting used to his attention._

"I'm going to have to fight them off of you now, aren't I?" He moved to stand in front of her and put his hands on her waist lightly, testing the waters. She felt like her heart was in her throat but she didn't step away. The next thing she knew his lips were on hers and she instintively grasped his arms, pulling herself closer to him. One of his hands moved up to cup her cheek as he deepened the kiss for a moment before he broke away. "Maybe we should just stay here," he breathed and she backed up a little, smirking.

"You wish. We're going out, come on. That was your treat for the road."

She led him down to the parking garage of her apartment building, listening to him drone on about the lack of security and soon they were speeding off into the night. He was driving – he had _insisted_ – and while she did feel safe in a car with him, at his usual speed he was more likely to attract the attention of the papparazzi that she so desparately wanted to avoid for as long as possible.

"Where are we going?" She broke the silence, watching the landscape fly by through the window.

He glanced at her and moved to put one hand on her thigh, giving it a squeeze. "What are you up for? Fancy? Casual? Fast?"

"Hmmm... Burger King?" She said it as nonchalantly as possible, keeping her eyes glued to her window to hide her grin. She never indulged in fast food around him, not once in the many years they had known each other, which was surprising considering it made up most of his diet. She had eaten it before, of course, just very rarely.

He snorted and let out a small laugh. "I actually want you to enjoy the food," he glanced at her again. "I thought you said you were hungry."

"I don't hate fast food... I just eat it sparingly. I'm serious," she finally looked over at him. "Burger King."

"Can we sit in the car and make out like teenagers after we've finished eating it?"

"Sure." She thought his jaw was going to break off of his face when he realized what she had agreed to and she couldn't help but to burst into a fit of laughter.

"I feel like I don't even know you!" He exclaimed jokingly and she watched as his expression suddenly shuttered into something slightly painful. "I guess that's not that far off from the truth, though, is it?" He muttered after a second.

"Good thing we're dating then. Usually when you date someone you get to know them pretty well. Besides," she continued, raising an eyebrow at him, "you _do_ know me. It's just not all of the little things, but you don't seriously think you know nothing about me, right? We've worked in close quarters together for almost a decade."

"The little things are the important things. Like strawberries." He shot back. She rolled her eyes. Mercurial moods.

"You'll be okay," she said as dryly as possible, "once you set your mind to something you're usually obsessively thorough."

His face lit up at that. "I am definitely obsessed."

He ended up going through the drive thru to order their food, for her peace of mind. They really did sit in the parking lot to eat it, laughing about the fact that he was a billionnaire and the look on the drive thru worker's face all the while. She couldn't remember the last time she had had such a good time and marvelled at how relaxed and right it felt that they were doing this. Dating.

"This was a really great first date, you know," she remarked after they'd sat in silence together for a bit after finishing off their food. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"Despite all the... flashiness of my life," he replied, gesturing widely with his hands, "these are the kinds of things I enjoy. That's why you can find me in the shop getting my hands dirty at almost anytime of the day."

"I know." She locked eyes with him, feeling her heart speed up again and her hands get a little clammy.

"Do you?" He murmured, inching closer to her. His hand found its way to her thigh again and she felt it like a burn, the heat of his hand making her hyperaware of how close they really were and how much closer she wanted to be. It scared her just how fast everything was moving between them. It scared her even more that she was letting it.

A bright flash made her jump back from him and she whipped her head around to look out the windshield, directly into the lens of a camera. Even though she wanted to screech in disappointment at the moment the man in front of her had a ruined, years of PR conditioning kicked in and she stayed calm, face neutral. She saw Tony scowl out of the corner of her eyes.

"I can't take you anywhere," she said sweetly, smiling at Tony as he turned the car on.

"You should snap a picture of him so I can find him later and show him just how poorly timed that was." He looked over at her with a little bit of concern and what only a few people would recognize as worry. "Are you..."

She sighed, touched that he cared at all. Tony wasn't one for keeping things private. "I'm fine. I guess it's going to get out eventually. We can't hide inside forever. I just wanted more time."

"We have tons of time to make out back at your place!" He supplied innocently, batting his eyelashes at her exaggeratedly. He just grinned in response to her pointed glare.

"Don't you ever wish you could keep things to yourself? To enjoy without the world looking in on you?" She wasn't angry, just curious.

"Sometimes I just think it's not worth trying when everyone is breaking my balls to find everything about me out. If I let them have it, they leave me alone a little bit. We could always explain it away somehow," he offered, waving his hand back in the direction of Burger King. "I'm sure we could think of something."

"Nobody would believe it." She quickly grabbed his one hand from the steering wheel and laced her fingers with his before she lost her nerve. As much as she had ridiculed Tony's way with women over the years, she was probably just as bad at romantic relationships if she was being really honest. Being a workaholic didn't leave a lot of time to spend on love. She didn't want him to think she was embarrassed of him or anything either. Judging by the tipped up corner of his lip that she could see, it was a good move.

It didn't take them long to get back to her place and she wasn't surprised to see a small herd of reporters standing around her place. News travelled unbelievably fast in these parts, especially about Tony Stark. Nevertheless, she couldn't stop herself from letting out a pained groan at the thought of reporters following her more than they already did. They barely squeezed past them into the safety of the parking garage, bright flashes going off all around them and only when the door closed behind them did she let out a breath of relief. It was then that she noticed a look of giddy happiness on Tony's face. "What?"

"Increased security time!"

"That _would_ bring you a strange amount of happiness," she rolled her eyes, taking care not to slam her car door in barely contained frustration at how quickly the night had gone from wonderful to... work. Because that was what this was now: work. Public relations. No doubt something they would label an inter-office scandal.

"Hey, don't worry about them," he said, referring to the papparazzi as they made it into the building. "I haven't cared about what they've had to say my entire life and look how well I'm doing."

"I've never been crucified before by the media quite like what I'm expecting to happen after this," she reminded him.

He grabbed her hand in the elevator. "They won't." He said it with such seriousness that the knot in her stomach loosened. "I won't let them tarnish your name just because you've finally given in to my devilish charms."

"I don't think you can control the media..."

"I thought you said if I just put my mind to it I could do anything?"

"Well, putting your mind to the media doesn't really do anything."

They walked into her apartment and she was suddenly against the closed door, his arms caging her in as he kissed her. "I could stay here-" he started and she stopped him, pulling apart and keeping her hands on his shoulders for distance.

"That's not first date material." She was breathless and found herself embarrassed that it was so obvious as he flashed his trademark smirk at her. "Go home, Tony."

He held his hands up in surrender and took a step back. "Only because you asked. And I'm a gentleman," he added, crossing the room in a flash and stepping into his suit. He popped open the facemask to give her one last look before he shoved the window open that he'd arrived from. "Just let me know when you're done with the gentleman, 'cause _I'm_ ready to go at anytime."

"Bye Tony," she quipped, giving him one last kiss before shoving him out the window and pulling it closed. She watched him fly off before she felt herself really relax.

He was a little too tempting.

* * *

AN: Cute? Not in character? Horrible? Let me know peeps!


	3. chapter three

Affairs of the Heart

Tony & Pepper, Ironman

June 19th 2018

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Ironman and/or Marvel. I just enjoy playing with them.

Chapter Three

* * *

The next day came too soon and Pepper was dismayed to find that her apartment building was swarmed with photographers and reporters, all waiting for their chance to bombard her about the photo that she was sure had gone viral overnight. Stubbornly, she had refused to go online to see the chaos unfolding, so she had no idea what anyone was saying yet.

Since she technically had nowhere to be, she resigned herself to being cooped up in her home and hoped that they would grow tired of standing around and waiting. She briefly thought about going door to door to apologize to her neighbours and felt a prickle of frustration, dismissing it almost as quickly. What normal person had to go apologizing to their neighbours because they just started dating someone? She knew deep down that this was what she'd signed up for when she took the job she did all those years ago, being in the public eye and being _with_ Tony only meant it would get worse.

"Better get used to it," she sighed, dragging herself to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day. She took her time for once, not having the usual pressure to answer emails and field calls at the same time. Once she was done, she stood in her living room and took a look around, unsure of what to do next. She didn't actually want to stay in her apartment all day long. Biting her lip, she walked out onto her balcony and peeked over the edge to see if the crowd had thinned out at all.

If anything, the amount of people had increased and it only took her a second to realize why. An extremely familiar car was parked at the entrance to the building. Right then, she heard a loud knock and she made her way to the front door quickly, not surprised in the slightest to see Tony standing on the other side, his signature smirk splashed across his face.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're supposed to be at work!"

"I was on my way there and I heard the news... Your address is officially public knowledge if it wasn't before." He scratched his goatee, smiling apologetically. "So I came to take you to the mansion. _Then_ I'm going into work."

"Why would I go to the mansion? And how did you even get in?"

He looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "Your building has some of the most lax security I've ever seen. You're safer at the house. You're also not going to get out the front door or the garage without trouble... I'm not sure if you noticed the party waiting for you downstairs. At least at the house, you can go outside without being mauled."

She stared at him for a few seconds before sighing, knowing he was right. It would also win her some points with her aforementioned neighbours, she hoped. "Let me just get some things..." She quickly went around the apartment, gathering what she anticipated she might want throughout the day, packing it into a small bag as she went. She was surprised, to be completely honest with herself, that Tony had thought about picking her up at all. Thinking about other people wasn't usually his strong suit.

 _He's changed. You have to start giving him some credit._

"Okay. Ready." He stepped out of the doorway to let her pass and she quickly locked the door. "So what are they saying about last night?"

"Uh... Well... The usual... Gossipy things..."

"Is it that bad?" She groaned, feeling her cheeks flush in embarrassment. There was a knot in her stomach now and she was starting to feel a little sick about everything. For so long, she had maintained the utmost professional relationship with Tony, stomping out the rumours for years and putting all his previous assistants to shame. _And yet_ , she thought, _here I am. The next in a long list no matter how long it took._

"Having second thoughts?" He asked, noticing the change in her expression.

She stepped into the elevator with him and forced herself relax when she saw the tiniest amount of panic in his eyes."No Tony," she said, grabbing his hand, "I'm not havng second thoughts about anything."

He nodded stiffly and let go of her hand as the doors opened to the lobby, instead placing it on her back, leading her out to the chaos. "Here we go," he murmured, pushing the front door open. Happy was there, moving to flank her other side while trying to keep the more persistent of the reporters away from her. It felt like minutes had passed instead of seconds, the shouting in her ears sounding further away than it was, but she came back to earth when someone grabbed her arm from behind and spun her around out of the grasp of both Tony and Happy.

There was a microphone inches from her face and the focused eyes of a reporter bored into hers. "Pepper Potts, do you-"

Whatever question he was about to ask was cut off as Tony shouldered in front of her and grabbed the hand the reporter held out, pushing him back away from her. "Get out of her face and don't touch her again," Tony threatened, looking over the now still and silent crowd. He turned back to her and ushered her into the now open door of the car, slamming it shut behind him. She could practically feel the tension and anger radiating off of him and tried her best to calm her own stuttering heart. She was used to being followed and occasionally harrassed by the media, but not like... _that_. Not a huge crowd trying to engulf her. She was just the PA, idling in the background, watching it all happen to Tony.

"How do you deal with that all the time?" She asked, disappointed to hear a slight tremor in her voice.

"That was pretty bad, Pep," Happy answered from the front seat. "Worse than normal. It's been a long time since someone got a little grabby."

Tony said nothing, staring out the window. He silence only made her nervous. A silent _angry_ Tony was never a good thing.

"Maybe I should just come back today, I'm sure-"

"Nope."

She narrowed her eyes. "Tony, I should clean up the mess I've made! This is a big deal!"

" _We_ made the mess together, but you're on vacation. I can handle it." He assured her, finally turning to look at her. "I'll have a press conference," he continued, ignoring her raised eyebrows, "and it'll be great. I'll set the record straight... Throw in a couple threats to the general population... Just the way I like to do things!" She could see he was still mad, so she decided to drop it, even though it killed her to bite her tongue. It was his company after all and after last night, maybe she wasn't going to be working there for much longer anyways. The board would probably have something to say about her continued employment and the nature of their relationship.

They dropped her off at the house in short order and she was left with her thoughts for the day. _Assuming he makes it through an entire workday._ She snorted to herself and made herself comfortable on the main balcony, soaking up the sunlight with the book she'd grabbed from home. She still hadn't turned her phone on and she figured she should keep it that way as long as possible. Vacation equals no stress.

"Miss Potts, Mr. Stark would like to know what you want for dinner tonight." She jumped at the sound of Jarvis' voice, having been engrossed in her book for a few hours.

"Oh, um... He can get whatever he wants," she replied. "Jarvis, what time is it?"

"It is five oh-two in the afternoon."

She raised her eyebrows. More than a few hours. "Time flies when you're having fun."

"That is what they say."

She got up from her chair and stretched, wandering back into the much cooler house, feeling pleasantly relaxed. She _never_ had time to read like that. Or to just sit in the sun. She eyed her phone that was sitting on the counter, deciding it was finally time to face the music before Tony and Happy arrived. She powered it on and settled onto the couch with it, waiting for the influx of messages and emails she knew were waiting for her.

Seventy-five emails. Eighteen text messages. Not as bad as she thought at least. Opening up the internet, she barely hesistated before clicking on the news tab.

 _'The Ten Year Chase'_

 _'Best Kept Secret at Stark Industries'_

 _'It would appear that Pepper "Virginia" Potts has finally given in to her baser needs as Tony Stark rises to the forefront of the international stage...'_

 _'It's now even more questionable than before that Tony Stark's famous personal assistant was granted the position of CEO...'_

She closed her eyes, her heart falling into her stomach. Feeling the sting of tears, she kept them closed and threw her phone towards the other end of the couch, trying to focus on her breathing. She had known it would go this way, there was no other way it could go. His past was very real and would always colour any relationship he formed, whether it was her or someone else.

Still, knowing that didn't ease the hurt. The embarrassment that her coworkers might think differently of her. The sadness that how she felt for him was going to be put under scrutiny.

"Miss Potts, I am detecting an elevated heart rate and physical symptoms indicating distress," Jarvis announced. "Shall I notify Mr. Stark? He is arriving."

"No Jarvis, I'm okay," Pepper said, wiping rogue tears from her face.

"Honey, I'm home!" Tony sang out suddenly, waltzing in with take out bags in his arms.

"Welcome home, Mr. Stark." Jarvis responded.

"Not you dear, the other one," Tony snarked back, placing the bags on the table in front of Pepper. "You must be so proud of me, staying at work the entire time! How much work got done is still up for debate, but-" he rambled, emptying the contents of the bags in front of her, "we can't all get what we want!" His hands stilled when he finally looked up at her. "Uh, Pepper, your eyes look like they were, uh, leaking." He finished dumbly. "I promise I got work done, it was just a joke."

She laughed at that.

"What's wrong?"

She shrugged, reaching over to grab a box of the take out – Chinese from the smell of it – trying to avoid his stare. To his credit, he didn't say anything, following suit and picking up his own box of the take out. He never took his eyes off her though and she almost laughed again at how scared and tense he looked.

"Did you see the news at all?" She asked him, not liking how casual she sounded. As though it was nothing.

"I may have glanced through it. Is that what's wrong?"

She shrugged again, trying to get a read on how he felt about it. "It doesn't bother you at all, does it?"

"Well... I've had worse things written about me. I take offence to what they're writing about you, however, which I addressed at the press conference I promised to do today. There's not much more we can do about it..."

"So it doesn't bother you that they think it's just another fling?" She asked, feeling her sadness morph into frustration. "They think we're just, you know, sleeping together! That I'm just in it for the fun and fame!"

"Are you?" He asked her seriously – too seriously.

"What!?" She jumped up to her feet in shock. "How could you ask me that? Did you really just ask me that?"

"Well I know the answer and so do you, so what's the problem?" He snapped back. "You care too much about what people think they know."

"I'm going home," she spat, turning her back to him to collect her things.

"No."

She ignored him, shoving her book back into her bag and walking around the couch to grab her phone from where it landed earlier. She could feel the sting of tears again. What was wrong with her? Where did the cool, calm and collected Pepper run off to in the span of twenty-four hours? She felt unhinged and just... wrong. Not herself. Did that prove that this was a mistake?

"Pepper!" Tony grabbed her arm, whipping her around. She hadn't even noticed him get up. "Pepper, you're not going home. You saw what they were like this morning and it's not going to stop anytime soon. Just-"

"Let go of my arm," she warned him, trying to wrench out of his grip.

"Just stay here," he pleaded and she could see he was trying to reign in his own annoyance. "I would feel better if-"

"Oh," she scoffed, "well if _you_ feel better, that's all that matters!"

"Pepper," he narrowed his eyes, "I just mean... I didn't like how that guy grabbed you this morning and I'd feel better if you were close by until some of the crazy dies down."

"Fine! Let me go!"

He released his grip on her arm and sighed. "Pep..."

"I'm going to bed." She brushed by him quickly, walking towards the stairwell that lead to the bedrooms. He caught himself before the automatic innuendo-filled comment that sprung into his mind left his mouth and let her go. He wasn't very good at this. She was staying which was enough for now.

"Jarvis, let me know if she tries to sneak out." He requested.

"Very well, Sir."

Pepper stalked up the stairs and made her way into the bedroom she usually occupied whenever she stayed over because of work and locked the door once she was inside. She was fuming, the adrenaline making her shaky. She quickly stripped and put on some of the pajama's that she had stockpiled and slid into the large bed, gripping her pillow until she finally calmed down.

"Jarvis?" She questioned eventually.

"Yes, Miss Potts?"

"Can you play the footage from today's press conference?"

"Of course. One moment."

She sat up in the bed and turned to face the projected image.

 _"I'm here today to address the photo that I'm sure every single one of you has seen from last night. If you haven't seen it, but I know you have, it's of Pepper Potts and I about to make out before one of you interrupted and ruined my night," Tony joked and the crowd laughed with him. "I am dating Pepper and I would appreciate if for once in your lives you could accept what I'm saying graciously and pay me back for all that I do. This morning, one of you got a little too handsy with her and this is the only time I'll say that if anyone touches her again in an attempt for a comment, a story, anything, I'll personally sue you into the ground." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I'm not taking any questions. I am in a committed relationship and that's all you need to know. This had no bearing on her being named CEO and until after the events at the Expo, nothing has ever happened between us. Not for lack of trying on my part," he smirked, "but she's way too professional. Don't believe me? Don't care. Thanks for your time."_

The projection faded away and Pepper felt guilty. So guilty.

"Jarvis, where is Tony right now?"

"He is currently in the workshop."

"Okay. Thanks." She said, flopping back down onto the bed. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She would apologize tomorrow.

He was trying. It was time she started to acknowledge it and reciprocate.

* * *

AN: I haven't been responding to reviews individually up to this point but I just wanted everyone to know I appreciate the feedback and interest in the story! It's always nice to know someone cares! :') Haha.


	4. chapter four

Affairs of the Heart

Tony & Pepper, Ironman

July 2nd 2018

Tony and Pepper have finally admitted to and acted on their feelings for one another. Their ensuing pursuit of happiness is filled with the twists and turns one would expect for a couple as prolific as they are. The in-between story we missed as they built their relationship together from IM2 to The Avengers.

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Ironman and/or Marvel. I just enjoy playing with them.

Chapter Four

* * *

When she woke it was the middle of the night, judging by the darkness of the windows. She fumbled for her phone to check the time. "Two AM?" She whispered sadly to herself, deciding it was probably her impromtu sleepover throwing her off balance. "Jarvis?"

"Yes, Miss Potts?" The AI returned, the volume of his voice substantially lower than normal.

"Where's Tony?"

"He is in the workshop."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. Of course he was in the workshop. For a grown man who considered himself a _genius_ , he certainly had never learned much about the art of sleeping and the toll it could take on one's body to miss out on so much of it. She hesitated for a fraction of a second before she threw the covers off and slowly stood, stretching before making her way towards the door. She wondered briefly why she was even bothering; she had tried countless times over the years to get him onto a normal schedule to no avail and she highly doubted that it was going to change anytime soon.

 _It's probably my fault_ , she thought. Their little argument was, she decided, most of the reason she was going to check on him. She was surprised that she had passed out at all with the way her stomach had been churning with regret at how badly she had treated him earlier. She wasn't going to discredit him and pretend that he wouldn't have feelings about it as well.

She made it downstairs without needing Jarvis to lift the lights in record time. The glass door of his hideout slid open with the press of her palm on the scanner and she ventured in. "Tony?" She called out softly, seeing him slumped over on top of his desk. She moved closer and put her hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly. "Tony?"

He jerked away at the movement, turning to face her with unfocused eyes. "What time is it?" He asked, rubbing his face with both hands.

"Two in the morning... Why didn't you go up to bed?"

He shrugged, turning away to reorganize his space. "I was busy."

"Listen..." She started, leaning her hip against the edge of his workstation, trying to catch his eye. "I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did."

He shrugged again, but said nothing. Stubbornly.

"I just don't like how people are talking about us like... Like it means less than it does," she finished lamely, feeling her cheeks flame with the acknowledgment that it hurt her. "I'm sorry. It's harder than I thought to let it roll off my shoulders."

He turned to her and studied her face for a moment before he moved quicker than she was expecting, crushing her lips to his with his hand at the back of her head, fisting in her hair. It was needy and painful and exactly what she needed. "I thought... Maybe you were going to change your mind," he said when he pulled away, voice low and vulnerable.

She felt another stab of guilt at the thought of him down here, wondering if that was it between them because of one stupid little fight. It was going to be a struggle to keep in mind that he didn't know how a serious relationship really worked. "Tony, couples have fights. Things aren't just going to be over because of _one_. Besides, it's us. I don't think we're going to just magically stop bickering." She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning back to look into his eyes and smiling softly.

"How would I know?" He grinned and she felt his body relax. His hand dropped from her hair to her hip and he pulled her a little closer.

"Come to bed."

"Like, together?" He asked hopefully.

She bit her lip and looked down at his chest, the tips of her fingers playing with his hair. "Just..."

"I am the last person you need to worry about," he cut in teasingly, tipping her chin up with his fingers. "Though that special is only on for tonight. Or I guess this morning because I don't want it to continue through the day."

She pulled away from him, laughing softly. "Let's go."

Neither of them said anything as they left the workshop and headed upstairs. Tension hung in the air between them suddenly; this was uncharted territory. Her body seemed to hum with energy and she tried to distract herself, but her heart was beating too fast and her stomach was somersaulting. She'd never felt so nervous in her life.

She'd never felt so _eager_.

"Mine or yours?" He asked simply, stopping behind her at the top of the stairs.

"I'll just get my phone and I'll come back to yours."

He nodded and made a beeline for his room, disappearing quickly. She swallowed, wondering if he felt the same way she did right now or if this was just another day, another girl.

 _Stop it._

She retrieved her phone slowly. Was this the right move? She couldn't undo this once it happened. _It's just sleeping, you idiot._ But it felt a lot bigger than that at this moment and she felt her throat tightening with emotion and she took a deep breath as she tried to get it under control. She was scared, deeply scared about throwing herself into this and getting her heart broken. That might mean losing her job, losing the life she had come to love... Losing _Tony_.

She walked back to his room and crawled into his bed before she lost her nerve, bundling herself up in his blankets. He hadn't made it out of the bathroom yet and she waited, barely breathing. When he did come out, he was wearing only boxers and his shirt. She watched as he went to lift the shirt over his head before he stopped and shrugged it back down into place.

"The reactor is bright." He answered the question in her eyes, tapping where it laid under the shirt with a lazy finger. "I guess I'll have to think of something."

"I'm sure I would get used to it."

He slipped in beside her and, of course, got right up into her personal space, wrapping a warm arm around her and pulling her flush against him. They were nose to nose and he kissed her softly, slowly deepening it as she relaxed. She ran her hand along the muscles of his arm and his chest and felt a thrill in her abdomen as she whimpered under his onslaught. His hand was roaming across her back, down across the swell of her hip and back up to rest on her lower back underneath her tank top, drawing little searing circles into her skin. Abruptly, he pulled away from her and rolled her to face away from him before pulling her right back against him, spooning her with his arm tight around her middle.

"Goodnight." He murmured in her ear, nuzzling his nose into the crook of her neck.

She fought to calm her breathing before replying her own goodnight and settling against him, feeling warm and... _Right_. She was pleasantly surprised that he had stopped himself before they got too out of control. She just wasn't ready for that yet, even if she secretly wished she was.

With the thought in her mind that maybe this was going to work after all, she slowly drifted to sleep.

 **…**

"You know, today is the last of my days off. We need to talk about what's going to happen tomorrow." She had followed Tony downstairs into his workshop after he'd brought her a half-burnt omelette in bed with a sheepish grin. Sitting on the couch in what he deemed to be the house's second living room, she watched him puzzle over whatever he was working on. When she wasn't trying to harangue him into doing the things he was supposed to be doing for his company, she realized it was easy to appreciate the passion and enjoyment he felt when he was getting his hands dirty and inventing, building.

He didn't look up at her, but nodded. "You're going to go back to being CEO."

"Tony! I can't do that and you know it." She exclaimed, jumping up. "I can't be your boss and you can't be mine if we're going to be in a relationship."

"Why not?" He asked, infuriatingly nonchalant. "Seriously, why not? Pepper, we can reassure the board and get legal involved, but at the end of the day it is _my_ company. I can do what I want. Besides, not one person is going to want me back in charge after seeing what it's like when someone actually capable is running the place. Oh, that's you, if you didn't know." He added cheekily.

She felt like her jaw was somewhere on the floor and she struggled to regain her composure. She was touched – though it probably didn't seem like it in the moment – that he really did want her to run his company. "I don't know, Tony."

"We'll figure it out tomorrow. Days off aren't for business talk." He swept the papers he'd been studying off his desk without preamble. "I'm bored."

She rolled her eyes. "How surprising is that? I'm going to get ready."

"Can I help you?" He called after her, his voice lecherous.

"See you in a bit, Tony." She half laughed, bounding up the stairs. "Jarvis? Make sure you lock him out of the guestroom."

"Most assuredly, Miss Potts."

* * *

AN: That was way too long a wait. I wasn't even finished with this chapter, but wanted to get something up 'cause the wait between chapters was just getting ridiculous. Life really got in the way! I will make sure the next chapter comes quicker.


	5. chapter five

Affairs of the Heart

Tony & Pepper, Ironman

July 5th 2018

Tony and Pepper have finally admitted to and acted on their feelings for one another. Their ensuing pursuit of happiness is filled with the twists and turns one would expect for a couple as prolific as they are. The in-between story we missed as they built their relationship together from IM2 to The Avengers.

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Ironman and/or Marvel. I just enjoy playing with them.

Chapter Five

* * *

"We should get out of the city, do something fun." Tony said, watching Pepper step carefully down the stairs after her shower.

"I guess that depends on what you consider fun today. Usually we have differing opinions on that."

"There are different levels of fun and I just happen to enjoy physical fun more than the rest. But... It would be a little weird to do that out in the open." The gleam in his eyes told her he didn't really mean that last sentence. "Just real, couple fun. You do know what fun is, right?"

She shot him a dry glare. "Ha ha."

"I really appreciate the casual dress code you've adopted in your time off. Maybe you should never go back to work." His gaze raked over her, trying to commit her shorts and fitted t-shirt look to memory and he was pleased to see her blush under his scrutiny. He liked that; to be the one to make her feel something. "We could go shopping for more casual wear, fill up the wardrobe here..."

She shrugged. "Okay."

"Uh... Okay?" He tried to conceal the elation in his voice, but judging by her expression he had failed. "As in _yes_?"

"I do not think there is any other interpretation, sir." Jarvis suddenly spoke up and Tony scowled.

"Nobody asked you!" Tony snarked back, folding his arms across his chest.

"Only if we stop for coffee. And I get to pick the music."

Tony pouted at her last demand, but quickly agreed and she watched in amusement as he practically threw himself down the stairs to the workshop. She liked this animated, attentive version of Tony. She ran upstairs to grab her purse before following him down, not surprised to find him in one of his too-luxurious vehicles, idling and waiting for her.

"Jarv! Lock up." He commanded.

"Sir." The AI acknowledged.

Pepper slid into the passenger seat and before she'd even fastened her seatbelt, he was taking off with a screech of tires into the Malibu sun. She scowled at him, merely receiving a grin in response. Before she knew it, his hand was on her thigh and she was acutely aware of the little squeeze he gave it. She felt frozen. His big, warm, very rough and manly hand was on her very naked thigh and the feelings that she was becoming very well acquainted with these days was back. She knew she was staring _too long_ , but it was hard to look away. And to breathe.

"It's not a bomb." She swallowed past the lump in her throat, looking over at him. "My hand, I mean." He continued in the face of her silence.

She looked away again, out the window, trying to get the butterflies threatening to fly out of her mouth under some kind of control. "It's so easy for you," she stated, almost accusingly. "I feel like it might just be autopilot for you and-" She cut herself off, knowing that she would regret her next words, knowing it was unfair and a very typical heat-of-the-moment response.

"You know, ever since I came home from Afghanistan I've been trying to be better. For me and Rhodey and the company, but mostly for you." He didn't look at her, keeping his eyes strictly on the road. "I don't do this with anybody. I take them to bed – sorry, by the way – and then I bail. I'm really trying here, Pepper. I know I'm not so good at emotions and I love being selfish... And I'd still like to take you to bed, but it's only easy for me because I've known what I want since I came back. You don't know what you want."

"I do," she protested, finally covering his hand with hers. She sighed. "Your history scares me."

"I know." He admitted solemnly. "I'm not _only_ trying to sleep with you, even if that's number one on my list. You've gotta give me a chance." They both stayed quiet for a minute, before he added, "of course, once you have me you'll know exactly what you want one hundred percent of the time."

She laughed and the tension between them dissolved.

The rest of the drive was easy silence or their usual back and forth banter. Once they'd made it to Santa Monica, he eased the car off the highway towards the shopping centre. They spent the better part of two hours wandering around, Tony showing her all of the very inappropriate clothing he could find while begging her to model it for him. Pepper largely ignored him, picking up only what she wanted and presenting her own plastic card for payment, much to Tony's displeasure.

"Really? Do you know how much you pay me!" She snapped at him on his fourth attempt, snatching his card from him and shoving it in her purse so he couldn't thrust it into her face again.

"You should get used to it." He replied, but he wasn't looking at her anymore, instead focused on the crowd that had gathered at the front of the store. He was tapping his reactor again, which she was beginning to recognize as a nervous tic. "We've acquired some stragglers."

"At least it's just people; I don't see any mic's or cameras." She joked, but his frown remained. "Tony, it's fine. I think I'm done anyways." She held up her multiple bags to prove her point.

"People are unpredictable. Reporters, at least, are not." His hand grasped her elbow as they moved to leave. "I would take your bags, but I might need these." He wiggled his fingers in front of them.

"You're being paranoid, Tony."

"That's my new middle name."

They made it to his car in one piece, though he was still tense even after he slid in and shut the door. She smiled softly and held his hand, willing him to speak.

"So maybe from now on, we always take Happy." He said finally and she could tell he was forcing his tone to stay light.

"I've never seen you like that in a crowd of people before. Usually you eat up the attention."

He sighed, glancing sideways at her. "Attention... Might not always be a good thing anymore, Pep."

It hit her then, that he was worried about _her_. Another new development to file away. Of course Tony cared about people, especially his inner circle which was really just Rhodey, Happy and herself, but his obsession with himself typically relegated them all to a niggling afterthought. She certainly had never actually seen with her eyes any evidence of his feelings quite like this. Though, she admitted to herself, that wasn't exactly true. He'd been showing a lot of himself to her lately, throughout the Palladium poisoning and the last couple of days. Still, he loved to hear his own voice, to be celebrated and sought after; this careful, wary version of him was just... Well, _weird_.

"Tony, don't start hiding from the world," she soothed. "I'm a big girl and I know what I'm getting myself into."

"I have a very big, neon-flashing target the size of China on my back now."

"You've always had that," she deadpanned, "it was just hit with bras and panties before."

"I'm not used to people wanting to get up in your space like this." He clarified, ignoring her jab at his playboy antics. "It makes me nervous. And now that we're – you know – what if-?" He blustered, pressing his foot on the gas without thought for the speed he was already driving at. He'd yanked away the hand she'd been holding to wildly gesticulate as he rambled.

"Take me home." She interrupted.

"What!?" He practically shouted, gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles whitened. "You're not the best at following a conversation lately."

She laughed, trying to stifle it when he looked even more lost. "I just need to grab some things," she reassured him.

"Couldn't resist me anymore, just like I thought," he fired back, relief permeating his voice.

"I just really like Jarvis," she quipped. "And your house. And your money. And a warm body."

"A warm body? I'm hurt. I never knew how superficial you were, but I'm glad to be seeing your true colours after so many years."

"My boss has rubbed off on me over the years."

He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "What a dick. Please, point me in the direction of the man who has managed to 'rub off' on you," he said, his voice changing from mock outrage to suggestive, "so I can kill him and take his place."

"Maybe I'll just let you." She said it as seriously as she could muster, which was no small feat when they were playing around like this.

He was silent for the rest of the drive.

* * *

AN: Told ya I'd be quicker.


	6. chapter six

Affairs of the Heart

Tony & Pepper, Ironman

July 14th 2018

Tony and Pepper have finally admitted to and acted on their feelings for one another. Their ensuing pursuit of happiness is filled with the twists and turns one would expect for a couple as prolific as they are. The in-between story we missed as they built their relationship together from IM2 to The Avengers.

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Ironman and/or Marvel. I just enjoy playing with them.

Chapter Six

* * *

Pepper was surprised to find that after three days away from work, getting her game face back on was no trouble at all, even with her uncharacteristically emotional attitude lately. She figured she deserved to cut herself some slack in that regard though, considering that her entire personal life had just been turned on its head. Not to mention her professional life.

She was, then, dumbfounded when she arrived back at the office with Tony by her side, who had insisted for the first time during their working relationship to accompany her, to complete and utter normalcy. No whispers, no stares, no change in treatment whatsoever – and finally, the stress she hadn't even known she'd been carrying with her drained away and she almost cried with the relief of it; this aspect of her life that she greatly coveted was unchanged.

Well. Almost unchanged.

She was, of course, back in her old role as Tony's personal assistant, after they once again were unable to come to an agreement regarding the position of CEO. The line of professionalism that had existed between them for years was clearly out the window in his eyes however, and nothing she said or did was putting him into a more acceptable headspace. She was torn for the majority of the day between wanting to strangle him and, embarrassingly enough, wanting to relieve herself of the frustration coursing through her body after another night of Tony being an absolute gentleman. It didn't help when she consistently found him watching her throughout the day, dark eyes intense and far too full of emotion to possibly belong to Tony Stark. She was having an exceptionally hard time reminding herself that she wanted to take things slowly as the years of sexual tension they'd danced around came back to bite her.

After the last meeting of the day, she made a last minute decision to work from home for the rest of the evening and texted Happy to pick her up from the lobby. She had to get away from him to breathe, scared of the intensity of her feelings. It was like the past few days had uncapped everything she'd been burying for so long and it was bursting forth like a cascade with no end in sight. _This is so not me_ , she thought, but she also knew she'd never felt this way for anyone before and she had no frame of reference. She'd dated, of course, though sparingly due to her schedule. Nobody had ever really held her attention like this and it rattled her how her once very predictable and scheduled life had crumbled so quickly because of a _man_. A man who could ruin her if she wasn't careful, both in reputation and her heart. The worst part of it was that she very much didn't _want_ to be careful; not anymore, not with him.

She managed to dodge him in her escape and she took what felt like her first complete breath all day once she was in the car, trying to relax as she leaned against the seat. She ignoredthe small niggling guilt settling in her stomach; she was certainly allowed to go home to her own space and working from there was definitely nothing new for her.

 _You're in a relationship now, with someone who has no idea what he's supposed to do and you're running._

"Hey, do you want me to drop you off out front or..." Happy trailed off and she knew he was hinting at a possible papparazzi presence.

"Yes, please. I'm sure it's fine... They're probably still stationed outside the mansion anyways." She saw him nod in the rearview mirror and she was left to her thoughts again as he turned up the music a little bit. It wasn't until she'd waved goodbye to Happy, trudged upstairs to her apartment and settled into her bed with a glass of wine that she looked at her phone.

 _Where'd you go?_

She sipped at her wine and ignored his text message, needing the space. For a couple of hours she diligently worked through the stack of paperwork she'd brought home and the mountain of emails that had built up over the days and felt the familiar smug sense of accomplishment she loved flow through her. She'd gone from one to two to three glasses of wine and she was glad when she had finally finished everything because she was getting to a point she rarely ever did – tipsy.

She picked up her phone, which had laid largely ignored beside her and felt a stab of annoyance when she saw no more text messages. Trying not to investigate her knee-jerk reaction, she instead got up to refill her wine glass again, paying no attention to how much she had had to drink already. She rarely indulged in alcohol, quite frankly having no time in the day for it, and when she did she was typically a lost cause for reigning herself in once she made it past one; her tolerance was shamefully low. As a result, she stayed away from it as much as possible. Wobbling back to her bedroom, wine bottle also in hand, she put the bottle down on the table and snatched up her phone and, with a little trouble, managed to send a quick text back.

 _In my closet._

She put her glass down as well and stumbled to said closet, letting out a small giggle as she tried to undress and put on some pajamas. It was just past eight o'clock and her dress suit was just not comfortable and she was starting to feel more than a little warm from the wine. She made it back to bed and flopped down, not surprised to find an immediate response from Tony.

 _What?_

She snorted and almost didn't respond, taking another too-large mouthful of wine.

 _I don't know._

Not even a minute had passed and her phone lit up. _Are you alright?_

Her heart sped up in her chest and she felt light headed as she stood on the pecipice of the moment, one she knew would change everything. It would just be so _easy_ like this. She held her breath and with all of her liquid courage sent back one simple word.

 _No._

Guilt striked her, hot and sharp, knowing he was probably going to have a panic attack the second he read it, but it would get him here the fastest. And she needed to act on this right now. Her hands were shaking, she realized and she could only hope more wine would settle her nerves once she got past tipsy and straight into drunk. _What am I doing?_

She wondered briefly how he was going to get into her apartment, assuming he'd taken the suit rather than a car – and she did assume – when his voice rang out from what sounded like her living room. "Pepper?"

She frowned at the tiny note of panic she heard and then rolled her eyes, giggling at the realization that she'd never locked her window after the first night he'd come by, knowing she was going to hear about that later. She heard him step out of the suit, his heavy footfalls sounding closer and closer and she felt consumed with desire suddenly, licking her lips in anticipation. Then he was in her doorway, looking as irresistable as usual and she didn't think. Before he even had a chance to speak, she crossed the room unsteadily and threw her arms around his neck, pressing herself as close to him as she could, kissing him with a fierceness that startled even her.

He was tense for just a moment before he moaned into her mouth, returning the kiss with fervor, wrapping his arms around her crushingly tight. He definitely knew what he was doing and she whimpered, pulling at the hem of his shirt frantically, trying to get it off of him. That seemed to break the trance he was in as he pulled back suddenly, saying her name and she cut him off before he could say more, pulling her own shirt over her head.

"Don't talk," she pleaded. She was too far gone now to recognize the look on his face for what it was, just wanting more. She didn't want to even acknowledge the fact that he had pulled back as she let the flimsy tank top fall to the floor, standing in only her bra and shorts.

"Pepper-"

She silenced him again with another forceful kiss, her tongue sliding along his lower lip for permission and he opened his mouth to bite hers gently, moaning a little harsher this time and it sent a thrill down her spine as she pushed her shorts down, shimmying out of them while trying to undo his jeans.

"Pepper, listen to me," he said against her mouth, grabbing her hands and pulling them up towards his chest, "this can't happen-"

"Tony, shut up." She bit out, not understanding why he wanted her to stop, running her hands over the muscles of his shoulders and down his arms instead, pulling his earlobe between her teeth. He never let her go but they were moving and suddenly she was tumbling backwards, having hit the edge of the bed and her heart was somewhere in her throat, choking her with excitement.

He pulled back from her, straddling her and holding her arms gently down. "I can't, Pepper. Not like this."

She felt like a bucket of ice cold water had been poured over her at the look in his eyes and she just stared back numbly, heading spinning with intoxication and arousal. "Tony-"

"Not like this, Pepper. I've never seen you this drunk in my life. This isn't how you want our first time to be."

She felt herself deflating and the sting of tears in her eyes had her struggling to get away from him. "Let me go."

He fixed her with as serious a look as she'd ever seen from him before, still not letting her go. "Don't be one of those women, Pepper. I want you. I want you so badly it hurts." He pressed his pelvis against hers so she could feel the truth of his words. " But I am way too serious about us to let this happen. I want you to be one hundred percent with me when the time comes. And you do too, trust me," he quipped slyly, clearly trying to lighten the mood of the room.

"You're not going to want me without the fun booze," she muttered after a pregnant pause, staring at anything but him now. She knew she was being ridiculous in the face of his heartfelt words, but rejection was still rejection and it hurt more than she cared to admit.

"You're an idiot, Potts."

"What!?" She screeched, struggling anew. He laughed and leaned down for another kiss, sapping all of the fight out of her all over again. Finally he lifted himself off of her and whistled low, eyes on the wine bottle as he settled next to her on the bed.

"How do you feel?" He asked with a grin, laying back on the pillows with his hands behind his head. She was grateful, secretly, that he was giving her such an easy out and not teasing her mercilessly.

"Like I've had too many."

"I'll say. You believe me, right?"

"About what..." She muttered, picking at the comforter miserably. She was wound so tight she thought she was going to explode.

"You know I want you." It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement, but she nodded nonetheless. "Then stop brooding."

"You seem pretty unaffected to me, given what just happened." She hated the way her words were starting to slur, making her sound a lot less angry than she felt.

His eyes darkened as he stared at her, lingering on her almost naked body a beat longer than necessary. "Trust me, all I can think about is everything I want to do to you right now, but I'm the only clearheaded one here so I'm trying to behave." He lifted his shirt up over his head at that and tossed it at her. "Put that on before I lose it."

She tugged it on, breathing deeply as his scent surrounded her. Her head was really starting to hurt now that all her emotions were crashing and burning and she was sitting still on the bed.

He stood, leaving her bedroom long enough to turn off the lights in the living room. She could hear him snap the window lock shut and stifled another laugh, standing up from the bed only to promptly fall onto the floor. He popped his head in to make sure she hadn't hurt herself before disappearing for a couple of minutes. She could hear him rummaging around in the kitchen and thought briefly about trying to get back into bed, but she was suddenly flooded with overwhelming exhaustion and the undeniable knowledge that she would never make it if she tried. He returned with water and advil, placing them on the table and removing the wine, leaving again.

She closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning and then he was there, one arm behind her back and the other under her knees, lifting her up onto the bed. Her head lolled with dizziness against his shoulder. He coaxed the pills into her mouth and helped her with the water, easing the covers back and laying her down. He quickly shucked his jeans off, sliding in behind her and pulling her back against him, his breath hot on her neck and she sighed.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly into the darkness of the room. He was right, she was an idiot; she had known for a long time that he wanted her. "I just don't think I... I don't think I'm what you usually want in bed," she slurred, grasping his hand tightly with hers. "I'm probably not as exciting or adventurous or-"

He groaned in exasperation. "Potts, go to sleep."

She twisted around in his arms, trying to lock eyes with him. "Tony," she whispered, "I'm serious."

"You are everything I want. Whatever we do in bed together, we're going to figure it out between the two of us. I'm trying to be better for you, okay, so stop making it so difficult." He whined and she could still feel the evidence of what he was saying pressing against her. She fought down another wave of arousal, trying to think about anything but him and how he felt against her.

She probably should be surprised with how frank and honest he was being tonight, but figured her drunk state was a safety net of sorts for him, just like it was for her. "Okay."

He kissed her forehead gently. "Sleep. You're going to hate yourself in the morning."

She closed her eyes, relaxing in his embrace.

"Don't think I've forgotten about the unlocked window." He tacked on just as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

AN: Oh god, I'm panicking about this chapter. Is it too out of character? It was harder to write this one than I thought it would be! Fun, though. ;)


	7. chapter seven

Affairs of the Heart

Tony & Pepper, Ironman

August 8th 2018

Tony and Pepper have finally admitted to and acted on their feelings for one another. Their ensuing pursuit of happiness is filled with the twists and turns one would expect for a couple as prolific as they are. The in-between story we missed as they built their relationship together from IM2 to The Avengers.

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Ironman and/or Marvel. I just enjoy playing with them.

Chapter Seven

* * *

Waking up was not pleasant in some ways; mostly the splitting headache, coupled with the embarrassment curling in her chest. But, the warmth of Tony's body was soothing so she tried to push the negatives away. He hadn't run after the very ridiculous show she'd put on and she figured that was a good thing, not that he had any right to judge. Gingerly, she turned in his embrace to face him, taking advantage of the rare moment to watch him sleep, utterly relaxed and peaceful. She sighed after a minute and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck and shoulder, not wanting to get up, but knowing she had to.

Stark Industries never stopped, especially not for her – their – personal lives.

She managed to slide out of bed without without waking him and she gathered her discarded clothing littering the floor from the night before as she made her way to the bathroom. Closing the door quietly, she turned to see her exhausted face staring back at her in the mirror and she frowned. Definitely not what she thought the morning after would be like. She snorted as the thought ran through her mind, feeling disappointment blooming in her chest.

 _Of course, I would be the one woman he turns down for sex._

Nevermind that his reasons were entirely perfect.

She got ready quickly, not wanting to test her luck with this changed version of Tony, thinking about all of the propositions to help her shower over the years. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she peeked her head out of the bathroom and was surprised to see the bed empty, covers strewn about. It took only a moment for the smell of fresh coffee to hit her and she smiled softly, tip-toeing into her closet to get dressed.

"I have something to show you later. The house. Top secret." Tony chirped the second she set foot in the kitchen and she glanced at him curiously, trying her best not to stare at the expanse of his shirtless chest. "Top secret," he reiterated, flashing her his trademark grin with a mischevious wink.

"O-kay... Do I need to be worried? If it's another suit, Tony, I really think you should take a break and focus on the company for a little-"

"Not a suit," he interrupted, scowling at the thought of taking a break from his most prized possessions. "You'll like it, I promise."

"Am I going to be honoured with your presence at work today?" She asked, tone dry enough to let him know she thought she already knew the answer. She held his shirt out to him and he took it, but didn't dress himself immediately.

He shrugged in response. "Sure. Why not? That place needs a little excitement from time to time."

She watched him closely as she sipped at the coffee he made her, marvelling at the fact that he hadn't once mentioned the events of last night yet. It was starting to get more and more difficult to reconcile the change in him and she wondered if he was close to imploding from the stress of trying to keep it all together. Surely it wasn't that easy for him? After all these years? He'd certainly built an impressive repertoire of habits and routines and she was having trouble beliving he'd just left it all behind so quickly.

Her thoughts raced as she tried to decide how to start what she wanted to say next, knowing she had to say _something_. "Tony... About last night..."

He locked eyes with her, but said nothing, allowing her to continue. She could feel the heat in her cheeks as they flushed pink and she looked away self consciously, annoyed with the lack of control over her own body. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. It was... Well, you know-"

"I believe the word you're looking for is adorable."

She gaped at him, sure she was hearing things. "Um-"

"Pepper, if I needed any reassurance that you feel the same way about me as I do you, then last night was the answer." He said, serious and without a hint of jest in his eyes. "I tried to remember the last time I'd ever seen you drunk and I actually don't think I ever have. Until last night."

She remained quiet, picking her coffee mug up again to give her fidgetting hands something to do. She wasn't sure what else to say to him – did she tell him she was embarrassed? Probably not, because isn't this what she wanted? To break down the walls between them for something more?

"I wanted to, you know." She finally confessed, ignoring the nervousness trying to clog her throat. "A lot."

He was in front of her before she could blink, guiding the hand clutching the coffee mug down to the counter, so close that she could breathe in his scent. "Me too. But Pepper," he eyed her closely, running his fingers lightly up and down her arms, making her shiver, "I don't want you to have to be inebriated to get into bed with me."

"I know."

She stared at him for a minute and he stared right back until she broke the gaze, slipping around him to get into her kitchen. "Put your shirt on. We should get going, we have a lot to do today." She dumped both their coffee's into the sink, rinsing the cups out and putting them into the dishwasher hurriedly.

"But we haven't even had breakfast," he whined, following her despite his protests. "And you just dumped my barely enjoyed coffee."

"Listen, today might be the only day you come into work so I need to take advantage of all the time I've got. Let's go." She ordered, grabbing her purse and swinging the front door open, holding it for him pointedly. "Starbucks was invented for a reason."

He rolled his eyes, bounding into her bedroom to grab his phone before sauntering out the door with her. "Now _this_ is how I want you to be when you get into bed with me. Taking charge and bossy."

* * *

The day passed as slowly as a day ever could and Pepper found herself sighing more times than she could count. It seemed like everything thrown her way today was made deliberately more difficult than normal and she could feel her mood start to sour. When her office door started to swing inward, she caught herself just in time to stop from screaming at the intruder – she was sure it would be Tony, back for the fifteenth time that day to give her a 'morale boost' as he called it, though it was really just annoying and the constant interruptions were throwing her off her game – but it was just Happy and she schooled her features into the calmest expression she could muster.

It wasn't terribly difficult; Happy was definitely in her top five favourite people.

"Happy," she sighed, "I'm so glad it's you this time."

He raised an eyebrow in question, sliding himself into one of the empty chairs across from her. "This time?"

"Tony keeps coming in here to 'boost my morale'. He's making me regret asking him if he was coming in today," she complained, shuffling stacks of haphazard papers and setting them into straightened piles absently.

"Oh. Well. That's awkward."

Pepper frowned at his aloof reply, knowing immediately what was happening. "Did he send you in here!?"

"Uh..." Happy avoided her gaze, looking everywhere else except at her. "He pays my bills, you know."

She growled unhappily and stood, straightening her dress and walking out of the room without a glance back. It was completely ridiculous. She'd never needed to be checked up on in the previous decade, so she wasn't quite sure what the problem was now. She decided against taking an elevator to the ground floor, deciding instead that the quiet sanctuary of the stairwell sounded fantastic. If she couldn't make it, well, lucky for her there were elevators on every floor.

The rythmic click of her heels soothed her as she slowly descended the stairs.

 _It's clearly time to have a talk about boundaries with the man who thinks he can do whatever he wants._

She'd needed a coffee anyways, she reasoned with herself, trying not to think about everything she hadn't finished yet today.

After about fifteen floors of stairs, she'd decided she'd had enough exercise for the day and made her way to an elevator. At the sight of the Starbucks on the ground floor, she nearly cried with happiness; she needed it more than she realized. After ordering, she patiently waited, leaning against the wall until someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned her head to see a very familiar face smiling back at her.

"Matthew! It's so nice to see you, how are you?" They'd worked together for a long time in accounting before she'd become Tony's personal assistant and she felt a twinge of guilt, knowing she hadn't gone back to see anyone there in a very long time. She was just so busy. He looked much the same as he had back then, lanky and tall, unruly brown hair falling into his face, obscuring bright green eyes.

"Pepper. I'm great, how are you doing? Mr. Stark's letting you take a break?" He joked and Pepper smiled back good naturedly.

"I'm really good. I just really needed some coffee. It's been a long day."

"Wanna grab a seat and catch up? You deserve a break like anyone else."

The thought of all the work she had to do had her hesitating, but he was right, wasn't he? She wasn't a workhorse. It would still be there when she returned and it wasn't as if she didn't take work home with her on a daily basis. "I would love to."

An hour later, that's where Tony found her. Laughing at something Matthew said, she didn't even realize he was there until he was clearing his throat behind her friend, lips pressed into a line, looking as stiff as a board.

"I've been looking for you. Don't you both have work to do? What do I even pay anyone for!"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I do more than I'm paid for every single day. If I started earning just my paycheck you would need to hire five more of me to make up the difference."

Tony's eyes settled on Matthew and she recognized the emotions in them; jealousy, annoyance... She stood, putting a hand on Matthew's shoulder and thanking him for the break. "It was exactly what I needed." She called over her shoulder as she dragged Tony away.

"He's just what you needed, huh." Tony grunted at her, glaring at the man's back from the elevator as the doors slid shut. She was glad that for once that nobody else had stepped in with them. It made having the discussion they were about to have so much easier.

"Yep." He went silent and she tried hard to keep her expression blank. "Tony, you're not jealous are you?"

"Of what? _That_?" His cockiness and the pointed mockery of her friend ticked her off a bit and she shrugged. Her silence must have unnerved him, because not a minute later he spoke up. "Should I be?"

She sighed. "No, Tony. He's just a friend and I needed a break. We haven't talked since I left the accounting department. Listen." She turned to face him, leaning her hip against the elevator's railing. "I needed a break because you're being infuriating today."

"Me? Infuriating?" He repeated, playing dumb.

"Yes, _you_ are infuriating _me_. If you keep interrupting me like you have been all day I'm never going to get anything done."

"Pepper, you work too hard."

"I've barely worked at all! If you don't leave me alone for the rest of the day, I'm not going to be able to come see this top secret thing you were talking about earlier."

He scowled, crossing his arms as he stepped out of the elevator.

"You promised."

"I feel like we're remembering things differently."

"I distinctly remember you promised me with your eyes."

"It didn't happen, but I'll be sure to take it into account when I'm eyeballs deep in paperwork."

"I feel like you need to destress and I can think of a few things I could do to help." He winked for good measure, stepping into her personal space as they reached her office door. She side stepped him and narrowed her eyes.

"Tony. Go home. Work on a suit. Play with Jarvis. Take half of my paperwork."

He watched her carefully, mulling his options. "Give me paperwork. God, it hurt just to say it." He quipped, holding a hand out.

"Are you really going to do it? Or am I going to find it later with you claiming it slipped your mind?" That had happened on various occasions.

"Ye of little faith. I solemnly," he said, _very_ solemnly, "swear that I, Tony Stark, will complete the paperwork you give me if you swear you will come home tonight."

Her heart jumped with thrill at the notion of Tony calling his house her home and she felt herself soften a little bit. She smiled and nodded. "Okay."

"Okay." He smiled back.

She should have known better.


	8. chapter eight

Affairs of the Heart

Tony & Pepper, Ironman

November 29th 2018

Tony and Pepper have finally admitted to and acted on their feelings for one another. Their ensuing pursuit of happiness is filled with the twists and turns one would expect for a couple as prolific as they are. The in-between story we missed as they built their relationship together from IM2 to The Avengers.

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Ironman and/or Marvel. I just enjoy playing with them.

Chapter Eight

Warning: This chapter doesn't really live up to an M rating, but just wanted to forewarn anyone who might care that things go further than I've gone in this story so far.

* * *

"You solemnly swore to me this would be done by you."

The rest of Pepper's day had gone relatively smoothly after Tony had left, finally giving her the stretch of uninterrupted time she needed to concentrate. Somehow she'd gotten everything that was truly pressing done before leaving and on her drive to the mansion, she allowed herself to relax and shut her mind off of work matters as much as she could. Of course, that hadn't lasted – the stack of very familiar and, more importantly, untouched paperwork she immediately spied on the kitchen counter had sent her into a fury.

"I mean, I said I would complete it without specifying when," Tony joked, snapping his mouth shut when he noticed his humour was not well received. "By the end of the night, I swear."

She breathed in deeply through her nose, closing her eyes in defeat. She'd stalked down to the basement to give him a piece of her frazzled mind and wasn't at all shocked to see him fiddling around with a suit. She was even less surprised that he thought her ire was funny. "Tony, I really need you to take more of an interest in your own company. I'm not the CEO anymore, but you're acting like I am."

"I meant it when I said we should be co-CEO's, you know."

"I know you did, but-"

"Pepper." Tony's warm hands closing around her shoulders silenced her and she arched a brow at him. "Co-CEO's. I will do my fair share of the work, effective immediately, but I can't do it by myself anymore. I have too many other responsibilites now. And the company never ran as smoothly as it did under you." He rushed to add when she opened her mouth to protest.

"Tony-"

"The board has already approved it."

"What!? Tony!"

"Why do you think I went into work? You don't actually think I went in to sit at my desk, do you?"

Pepper sighed, sinking down onto one of the couches – too luxurious to be in a room he frequently blew up, to be sure – resting her face in her hands. "You have to start talking to me, Tony. I know work is work, but we're never going to have a successful relationship if you don't share the things you're doing with me. Especially something like this that _really_ affects my life!"

He flopped down beside her, snaking his hand out to grab hers. "I know. I know you work too hard and I'm going to keep my word about doing my fair share of it."

"It's not about working too hard, Tony. I love my job, but what if I didn't want to have the responsibility of being CEO again?"

"You don't?" She almost laughed at the look on his face, his disbelief evident across his features. "You were so happy the last time I told you."

"Just tell me next time, _before_ you call a board meeting, about any plans you make that might affect me."

"So you'll do it?"

"How did the board meeting not show up on my calendar?" Their calendars were directly linked so that she always knew where he was and vice versa, but she'd never seen any mention of an emergency board meeting today. "And how did you get approval without me even being there? Not to mention your press release the other day."

He shrugged as though everything she had just said was irrelevant. "It's my company. Bribery goes a long way. I've also known most of them since I was just a little Iron Baby."

"You bribed the board members," she deadpanned, sounding more unimpressed than she actually was; there were men and women on that board who were not easily swayed and that was phrasing it diplomatically.

"I mean, trust me when I say they were pleased. I think the thought of Tony Stark running his own company _alone_ is their worst nightmare."

They both quieted for a minute and Pepper let herself enjoy the warmth of his thigh against hers, leaning slightly into him. He hadn't let go of her hand through their entire conversation, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles across her skin. The adrenaline of her anger was ebbing, slowly being replaced by a feeling of... contentment. She was a little shocked at the feeling, but this was just their normal life; crazy, a little ridiculous, but completely normal. She was secretly glad that this part of their relationship hadn't changed in light of their involvement.

"What did you want to show me?" She finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Jarvis, bring up the design plans, would you?" Tony asked and he grinned when a series of holographic drawings appeared directly in front of them. "May I introduce you to Stark Tower? Our first of many renewable energy powered company sites, maybe starting with New York?"

"New York?"

"It's a central hub."

"On the other side of the country, sure."

"I want you to be directly involved in this project. You'll have input on everything from design, to the recruitment, to it's location and everything else you can think of."

She stared at him, her brain struggling to catch up with what she could have sworn she'd just heard come straight from his mouth. "Design? Tony, you've never let anyone have any input in the designs of your personal projects."

"Yeah, well. I wasn't in love then."

Pepper was positive her brain had short circuited now. In love? _In love?_ She knew she was gaping like a fish and she so badly wanted to compose herself, but her body was betraying her. Had she heard him correctly? What were the chances that her hearing had gone in the last two minutes? He was looking directly at her, that stupid grin tugging his lips upward and a rush of desire swept through her body with a strength she'd never experienced before. Her breath caught in her throat and she barely managed a breathy "what" before he was pressing on.

"You didn't know? I've tried to make it obvious, you know, ever since I came back from Afghanistan." He sidled closer to her and she was hyperaware of him, her heart hammering in her chest. "My life has really been put into perspective over the last couple of years. I don't want to waste any more time. I don't want to waste more of my life." His other hand was on her thigh now, gripping tight, the only indication of his nervousness. "I've been trying to do anything and everything I can to be the man you deserve."

He was so close, she could feel his breath ghosting her cheeks. She leaned in, closing the distance between them and his moan of relief sent a surge of arousal through her. God, she had wanted this for so long and the sincerity of his words sent her spinning. She pressed closer to him, if that was even possible, deepening the kiss with a desperation that might have made her embarrassed if it were anyone else, if she wasn't one hundred percent certain he felt the exact same way. The way he was holding her, like he was scared she was going to jump up and away at any minute made her heart break.

"Let's go upstairs," she whispered against his lips and not a second later she was cradled against him as he crossed the room to the stairwell. A nervous giggle escaped her as she wrapped her arm around his neck, leaning her head against his chest. She was surprised when he took her to the guest room she usually stayed in rather than his own room, laying her down gently on the bed before requesting that Jarvis shut down all security video and audio of the room. Once he'd complied, he was on all fours above her, hovering just shy of her body as he began trailing his lips down the side of her neck, one of his hands tangling with her hair.

"Pepper, are you sure you want to do this?" He murmured quietly against her skin, not once stalling in his path down her neck to her shoulder and she shivered with delight and anticipation, raking her hand through his own hair to pull him down closer.

"I'm really sure."

He leaned back to slowly undo the buttons of her dress shirt, keeping his dark lust-filled eyes on hers as he did so and her heart was in her throat. When he brushed his hands under the material to smooth it away from her, baring her bra covered torso to his view, she broke eye contact, feeling a shyness bubble up in her. His hand was on her cheek immediately, guiding her back to look at him.

"You have nothing to be shy about," he reassured, voice thick with desire. "You're beautiful."

"Ditto," she replied quietly, reaching for the hem of his shirt. His hand clamped down on her wrist, pushing it away gently and she narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"The reactor," he supplied, as if that answered her question at all.

"What about it, Tony? Take your shirt off."

"It's... Well..." He stumbled over his words and it dawned on her that he was self-conscious about it.

"Tony, it's a part of you. It keeps you alive. I want all of you or nothing." She could see the disbelief in his eyes and decided right then and there that she was going to take action, rising up and pushing him backwards onto the bed. He went without a struggle and she straddled his lap, feeling a thrill rush through her at the sexy smirk that had taken the place of his uneasiness.

"I like a woman in charge," he murmued, running his calloused hands up her stomach to cup her breast. "Show me what you've got, Potts."

They never left the bedroom that night.

* * *

AN: Oops. Sorry for the delay, I have not in fact forgotten this story! I hate when you are so into a ship and then suddenly you are soooo much more enthralled in another (Romangers). I'm no smut writer as it is and I didn't want to start with this story so I'm sorry if the end of this is... abrupt. I'm no longer sure where I'm taking this story, but I don't feel like I'm anywhere close to done yet so we shall see!


End file.
